Biggest Overreactions From Atlanta's Preseason Loss to the Memphis Grizzlies

The Atlanta Hawks opened their preseason last night against the Memphis Grizzlies, and while the starters only played a limited number of minutes in the first half, the night did not go the way the Hawks wanted. They fell behind thanks to a 49-26 second quarter by the Grizzlies and were never able to catch up, despite winning the third and fourth quarters.

With the first preseason game out of the way, that means its time for overreactions. Here are the biggest from last night.

1. Jalen Johnson is not ready for the next step

Despite having an All-Star and All-NBA season for the Hawks, Jalen Johnson took a fair amount of criticism for the way that he played during the first round series against the Knicks. Johnson was unable to score, defend, and be an effective playmaker like he was in the regular season.

Last night was probably not the way that Johnson wanted to start the preseason. He scored eight points, with six of them coming on free throws, and also pulling in five rebounds as well as dishing out three assists, He shot 1-7 from the field and could not find a consistent rhythm as a scorer. His passing was solid, but it was not the kind of debut that Hawks fans wanted to see.

But it was the first preseason game and the Hawks were missing some key pieces last night. One subpar performance does not mean that Johnson is not going to be able to take another step this season.

2. The defense is overrated

The Hawks had one of the NBA's best defenses last season, and with the additions of Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins, they were going to continue to trend upward on that end of the court.

Problem was, Memphis outscored the Hawks 49-26 in the second quarter and were 8-11 from three.

I would caution Hawks fans to not overreact to this, as easy as it might be. For starters, Dort did not play in last night's game, which is a big deal defensively, and it is unlikely that Quin Snyder is going to ride with the defensive trio of Corey Kispert, Asa Newell, and Jock Landale many times, if at all.

The Hawks wanted to build themselves into an elite defense this offseason, but last night was not a good start. That does not mean they can't figure it out though and they should be given time.

3. Aaron Wiggins won't be successful outside of OKC

It was not the best debut for Wiggins. In 10 first half minutes, Wiggins scored only seven points, committed two fouls, and was a team worst -13 in his minutes. He did not bring the kind of defense or shot making that he was supposed to coming from the Thunder.

But one game does not mean that he is not going to be a successful player in this role for the Hawks. He is still getting adjusted to playing with new teammates and his -13 also has something to do with the defense being played in the frontcourt.

I am still bullish on Wiggins and would not overreact to him not setting the world on fire in game one.

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